Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe?  Is
the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe?  Can it
be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes?

On Apr 20, 10:04=A0am, CJ  wrote:
> Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe? =A0Is
> the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe? =A0Can it
> be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes?

could be iron, if it's really old.  Are the fittings threaded?  Copper
tends to go green when it's old/oxidized, or brown if it's in a dry
climate, but I haven't seen black.

nate

On Apr 20, 10:04=A0am, CJ  wrote:
> Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe? =A0Is
> the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe? =A0Can it
> be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes?

Could be.  Scrape the pipe and see if it's copper colored.  Hold a
magnet to it.

R

On Apr 20, 7:32=A0am, RicodJour  wrote:
> On Apr 20, 10:04=A0am, CJ  wrote:
>
> > Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe? =A0Is
> > the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe? =A0Can it
> > be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes?
>
> Could be. =A0Scrape the pipe and see if it's copper colored. =A0Hold a
> magnet to it.
>
> R

It is most likely a "black iron" pipe, i.e., not galvanised.  The
magnet or scraping will tell you.

Harry K

On Apr 20, 10:35=A0am, harry k  wrote:
> On Apr 20, 7:32=A0am, RicodJour  wrote:
> > On Apr 20, 10:04=A0am, CJ  wrote:
>
> > > Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe? =A0=
Is
> > > the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe? =A0Can =
it
> > > be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes?
>
> > Could be. =A0Scrape the pipe and see if it's copper colored. =A0Hold a
> > magnet to it.
>
>
> It is most likely a "black iron" pipe, i.e., not galvanised. =A0The
> magnet or scraping will tell you.

Mebbe so, but I have some copper pipes in the laundry room that have
turned black.  There was also that thing about the killer Chinese
drywall turning copper black.  It happens.

What's happened to education in this country when people don't
automatically think "magnet" when they're trying to determine if a
metal is iron/steel or not?

R

On Apr 20, 10:51=A0am, RicodJour  wrote:
> On Apr 20, 10:35=A0am, harry k  wrote:
>
> > On Apr 20, 7:32=A0am, RicodJour  wrote:
> > > On Apr 20, 10:04=A0am, CJ  wrote:
>
> > > > Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe? =
=A0Is
> > > > the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe? =A0Ca=
n it
> > > > be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes=
?
>
> > > Could be. =A0Scrape the pipe and see if it's copper colored. =A0Hold =
a
> > > magnet to it.
>
> > It is most likely a "black iron" pipe, i.e., not galvanised. =A0The
> > magnet or scraping will tell you.
>
> Mebbe so, but I have some copper pipes in the laundry room that have
> turned black. =A0There was also that thing about the killer Chinese
> drywall turning copper black. =A0It happens.
>
> What's happened to education in this country when people don't
> automatically think "magnet" when they're trying to determine if a
> metal is iron/steel or not?
>
> R

The way I interpreted the original post was that the OP hadn't even
considered the possibility that the pipe was iron/steel.  I agree a
magnet is a good test if he can't see a fitting.

nate

Probably, probably, probably, and yes, in that order.

If the pipe is really old, I'd say it's tarnished copper.  Any black iron 
pipe used for domestic water purposes would certainly not last to become 
*very* old and problems would have manifested themselves by now.  If it's 
not very old, but is copper turning black, then you have a shale gas issue. 
If that's the case, you need to lok into it and also get a Radon test kit. 
You may have to seal the slab. sump crock, ventilate, etc.  Are we talking 
in a basement??


"CJ" <k...@hotmail.com> wrote in message 
news:4...@y7g2000yqa.googlegroups.com...
> Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe?  Is
> the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe?  Can it
> be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes? 

"CJ" <k...@hotmail.com> wrote in message 
news:4...@y7g2000yqa.googlegroups.com...
> Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe?  Is
> the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe?  Can it
> be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes?


*You reminded me of my youth working for my contractor father.  He had a 
steady customer that built laundromats and some of them were not in the best 
of neighborhoods.  The plumber would always paint his pipes black so that 
they would not look like copper thereby reducing the street value.

Take some sandpaper and buff a small area.  You'll know right away what it 
is. 

On Apr 20, 7:51=A0am, RicodJour  wrote:
> On Apr 20, 10:35=A0am, harry k  wrote:
>
> > On Apr 20, 7:32=A0am, RicodJour  wrote:
> > > On Apr 20, 10:04=A0am, CJ  wrote:
>
> > > > Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe? =
=A0Is
> > > > the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe? =A0Ca=
n it
> > > > be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes=
?
>
> > > Could be. =A0Scrape the pipe and see if it's copper colored. =A0Hold =
a
> > > magnet to it.
>
> > It is most likely a "black iron" pipe, i.e., not galvanised. =A0The
> > magnet or scraping will tell you.
>
> Mebbe so, but I have some copper pipes in the laundry room that have
> turned black. =A0There was also that thing about the killer Chinese
> drywall turning copper black. =A0It happens.
>
> What's happened to education in this country when people don't
> automatically think "magnet" when they're trying to determine if a
> metal is iron/steel or not?
>
> R

what's a magnet?  ;)

"CJ" <k...@hotmail.com> wrote in message 
news:4...@y7g2000yqa.googlegroups.com...
> Is a 1 in. Cold Water pipe that looks black really a copper pipe?  Is
> the black color age on the pipe but its really a copper pipe?  Can it
> be soldered? Can it be connected to copper fittings snd other pipes?

Are you sure it's not a gas supply pipe? They're black.